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The post SEC Hosts First-Ever Crypto Roundtable Today appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News
The SEC is holding its first-ever Crypto Roundtable today at 1 PM ET. The event will feature key discussions on cryptocurrency regulations, bringing together experts and industry leaders to explore challenges and opportunities in the space. This marks a significant step in shaping the future of crypto regulation.
In 2025, AI agents became the newest obsession for crypto market participants. They were integrated into decentralized finance (DeFi), gaming, infrastructure, and even DAO governance, touted as the next evolution of Web3 intelligence.
With this in mind, BeInCrypto contacted OORT CEO Dr. Max Li for his perspective on whether these autonomous, machine-learning-driven software acting on behalf of users could reshape crypto. Li had some interesting insights, but warned that real-world adoption, security, and regulation are the biggest hurdles ahead.
Data from the AI Agents Directory indicates an average monthly increase of 33% in the number of AI agents.
However, despite the growing interest, Web3-based artificial intelligence solutions still account for a minimal fraction (3%) of the overall AI agent ecosystem.
According to Dr. Max Li, founder and CEO of decentralized cloud network OORT, the space is moving faster than its infrastructure can handle, pointing to models like ElizaOS (formerly ai16z).
Yet, in his opinion, the broader playing field is not ready. He says the core infrastructure, from decentralized storage to tokenized agent marketplaces, is still under construction.
While scalability is often seen as crypto’s weakness, Max Li says security and compliance are bigger threats. This is especially true when tokenizing AI outputs like computing, decision-making, or real-time data.
Dr. Li added that tokenized AI raises difficult questions. Who owns the data that the agents generate? How can decentralized systems comply with global data laws like GDPR? And what happens when AI agents interact with sensitive personal or financial information on-chain?
“These may already be more significant barriers than scalability,” Dr. Li warned.
The OORT executive emphasized that without clear custodianship or compliance frameworks, the risks extend beyond crypto to regulators, investors, and end-users.
The industry often claims AI agents will bring real-world industries on-chain. However, Dr. Li says it is still a fantasy, particularly in the public blockchain.
He explained that while enterprises like Walmart could benefit from AI for internal operations, there is little incentive to tokenize those agents. Traditional firms want efficiency and control, not decentralized tokens wrapped around their core systems.
“Most enterprises would prefer to keep that data within their own secured servers rather than exposing it on a public, decentralized network,” he said.
While private chains may offer a bridge, Max Li says the idea of tokenized agents powering real-world logistics or finance is, for now, a crypto-native dream.
AI agent tokens have exploded in 2025. Riding the momentum of both AI and crypto, they have attracted massive capital inflows. However, Dr. Li parallels the dot-com bubble, concluding that while innovation is real, the market is overheated.
Based on this, he does not believe the current rally is sustainable: “It’s fair to say there’s a bubble forming here.”
This sentiment echoes Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ), who recently warned that most AI token projects launch too early.
“Too many AI agent developers focus too much on their token and not enough on the agent’s usefulness. I recommend making a really good agent first,” wrote CZ in a post.
Zhao argued that only a tiny fraction of AI agents, say 0.05%, actually need tokens at this stage. Similarly, Hitesh Malviya, an analyst and popular figure on X, recently echoed this sentiment in a post.
“If you look outside the crypto echo chamber, you’ll find that we do have a solid ecosystem of free and better AI agents—and they don’t have tokens, nor might they ever need one. So, what we’re trading in the name of agents is nothing but memes—a value we created out of thin air, like we always do,” Hitesh observed.
Perhaps the most underappreciated risk in the AI agent boom is regulation. The intersection of open AI systems, tokenized data, and borderless blockchains is a minefield for compliance.
Dr. Li warned of contradictions yet to be resolved: How can decentralized AI be transparent and private? Who is liable when agents act autonomously but cause financial losses?
“In the short term, regulatory intervention will likely create additional hurdles for innovation,” he concluded.
This is especially true where there is no global consensus. Until jurisdictions align on KYC (know-your-customer), AML (anti-money laundering) laws, and data governance, institutional adoption will remain cautious, if not frozen.
While the rise of AI agents is real, their integration into tokenized crypto ecosystems is still a high-risk, high-ambiguity frontier. Infrastructure remains fragile. Legal frameworks are missing, and real-world adoption is still speculative at best.
Dr. Max Li’s view is clear: crypto must shift its focus from hype to functionality—from token-first to agent-first design.
Only then will the next leap in AI-powered decentralization become more than just a market cycle.
The post OORT CEO Dr. Max Li Discusses the Real Bottleneck in AI Agent Adoption appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Shiba Inu (SHIB) is showing renewed strength, rising more than 16% over the last week of April. Despite a difficult year for meme coins, SHIB has held up better than major peers like BONK, PEPE, and DOGE.
Its strong 0.82 correlation with Bitcoin suggests it could benefit further if BTC continues its uptrend. If momentum builds, SHIB could be poised for a major rally, potentially retesting price levels not seen since late 2021.
This year has been difficult for meme coins overall, with 9 out of the top 10 trading in the red.
Shiba Inu is down 33.11%, but it has performed slightly better than other major meme coins like BONK, PEPE, and DOGE, which have suffered even deeper corrections.
While SHIB’s losses are still significant, its relative resilience could position it more favorably if sentiment across the sector begins to shift.
If the broader crypto market recovers in the second quarter, SHIB could benefit alongside the entire meme coin sector. Meme coins are known for their exaggerated moves — large-cap meme coins tend to post even bigger percentage gains when the crypto market rallies.
However, they also tend to suffer sharper corrections when the market weakens. If momentum returns, SHIB could be one of the first meme coins to react strongly to renewed investor appetite for risk.
Shiba Inu strongly correlates with Bitcoin (BTC), currently at 0.82.
With Bitcoin gaining momentum for the second quarter, this high correlation could also position SHIB for a strong rally.
Over the last seven days, BTC has increased by more than 10%, while SHIB has climbed by over 16%. This suggests that SHIB is already reacting more aggressively to Bitcoin’s positive price action.
If Bitcoin continues to rise and breaks above the $100,000 mark—a level many analysts see as possible for Q2—it could trigger new all-time highs for the broader crypto market.
In that scenario, SHIB could be one of the biggest beneficiaries among major meme coins.
Given its high beta and strong correlation with BTC, a major Bitcoin breakout would likely amplify SHIB’s gains, making it an important token to watch in the coming weeks.
In the last major rally, Shiba Inu posted impressive gains, rising 157% between September 18 and December 11, 2024.
That surge reflected a combination of stronger Bitcoin momentum, renewed meme coin hype, and broader retail participation. SHIB price has shown that once momentum builds, its rallies can accelerate quickly, often outpacing the general market.
If SHIB enters a new uptrend cycle, fueled by interest in meme coins and Bitcoin’s push higher, it would need to rise about 182% to retest the $0.000040 level.
This would mark the first time SHIB reaches that price since December 2021. Given its history of sharp rallies once momentum kicks in, SHIB could be well-positioned if the market environment stays bullish.
The post Here Is Why Shiba Inu (SHIB) Could Reach a 4-Year High in Q2 2025 appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Fed Chairman Jerome Powell gave his first speech after the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) decided to keep interest rates unchanged. Considering the current economic outlook, the Fed Chair noted that its policies are strong for now. Powell noted that the Fed will continue to watch inflation gauges for changes as part of its measures to maintain economic stability and stem inflation.
As reported earlier by CoinGape, the Fed maintained interest rates at 4.5%. Powell stated in his speech that the inflation outlook is transitory with the Donald Trump-induced tariff in North America.
Speaking on the inflationary trend, the Fed Chair referenced measures from the Bank of Canada to prevent the bloated surge in the price of goods owing to the tariff war. He said the US measures to tighten or loosen gauges to prevent inflation challenge the FOMC. However, he noted that the United States is not at the level where it will be concerned about the longer-term impact of the trade war.
Ahead of the March FOMC Meeting, the forecast to keep interest rates unchanged was resounding. However, speculations trailed the broader Quantitative Easing (QE) outlook. In line with this, the Federal Reserve Chairman has provided definitive guidance.
“The Committee will slow the pace of decline of its securities holdings by reducing the monthly redemption cap on Treasury securities from $25 billion to $5 billion,” outlining its measures to begin QE.
Jerome Powell said this year that the Fed will adapt based on the market outlook.
While the Trump administration has masked the market with tariff concerns, Jerome Powell said in his speech that this trend is partly to blame for the current inflation level.
However, he hinted that the tariff war does not influence all economic activity. He cited the service sector as insulated from this trade war. When asked about his take on Americans who are displeased with the inflation outlook, the Fed Chair said this displeasure is understandable since they are at the price level.
As part of the speech, the Chairman hinted at a possible 2-time interest rate cuts before the end of this year.
The market’s volatility recently flipped bullish, drawing on broader economic indices. While keeping interest rates unchanged might help stabilize prices in the short term, lingering uncertainty remains a key headwind in the market.
As of writing, data from CoinMarketCap pegs the price of Bitcoin at $85,516.99, up by 4.30% in 24 hours. Altcoins like Ethereum, XRP, and Solana (SOL) also rallied by 7.61%, 11.85% and 7.11% within the same period.
Beyond the Fed Chair speech, the US SEC’s dismissal of the Ripple lawsuit created a short-term tailwind for the crypto market.
The post Jerome Powell Speech: Fed Chair Break Silence on Inflation, Tariff War appeared first on CoinGape.